CA legislative analyst sees huge future budget gaps

November 11th, 2008, 12:19 pm · 3 Comments · posted by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer

I don’t know yet what to think of the new legislative analyst, Mac Cooper. Elizabeth Hill, who retired after 22 years, was terrific: straightforward, non-partisan, following the numbers and letting the chips and political ramifications fall where they might. It will take years before we can assess Cooper accurately, I suspect.

However good, bad or indifferent he is, he has issued a report predicting that the Schwarzenegger projection of around a $24 billion deficit this fiscal year is a lowball, that it’s more like $27.8 billion. The fact that he praised the governor’s efforts to date suggests he might be a little too governor-firendly and perhaps too tax-friendly to be a properly independent analyst of the type Elizabeth Hill grew to be, but I’m willing to give him a little more time and a longer record before trying to evaluate him.

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Orange Punch bloggers write from a particular libertarian point of view. We’re dedicated to advancing human freedom and believe that the primary role of government is to defend Americans’ liberties. We seek a smaller, more limited government, expanded and freer trade at home and abroad, open markets and secure property rights. We believe in the power and goodwill of the individual; that he or she will aspire to a better tomorrow for themselves, for their family and for the community. We would hope for people to exercise integrity and self-responsibility along the way. The bloggers are Alan Bock, Brian Calle and Mark Landsbaum. The genesis of this particular brand of libertarianism is R.C. Hoiles, founder, Freedom Communications, Inc., parent company of the Orange County Register.

muck says:

November 11, 2008 at 2:28 pm

I’ve heard the same budget rumors you have. $24B. It’s not pretty. Progressive taxation gone wild. When the rich don’t have any money, where will the CA taxes come from? The only way is regressive tax increases, which Arnold is proposing with sales tax hikes, event fees, etc. And then lowering income of the people employed by the state.

The state should have an immediate hiring freeze and not replace those who are retiring or leaving state service. Let attrition deal with the high number of employees.

Off topic, but what’s up with all the missing ballots always favoring the Democrats?

“Hey, I found this box of 200 ballots in the back of my shed. And they all are for Al Franken.”

“Oh look, here a few ballots stuck on the bottom of my shoe. Franken, Franken, and Franken.”

Ridiculous.

Johnny Vegas says:

November 11, 2008 at 2:59 pm

Elizabeth Hill= the most compentent Gov employee who ever lived.

She is one in 10,000 unfortunately.

Now she is someone who deserved Cadillac wages and benefits, unlike 90% of the CHP, prison guards and FF’s.

rlh says:

November 11, 2008 at 4:37 pm

I understand the suspicion of Hill’ s replascement given the ideological bent of this newspaper, but I think the Legislative Analyst’s office as a whole has well earned its reputation for integrity and balance, and that need not depart with Hill. Hill’s personal reputation was built as much by the fair work done by her staff as by her own personal qualities, and the office as a whole deserves our respect - and to listened to, for a change. It’s been saying for some time that cuts alone aren;t going to solve our problems. I personally would like to have no sales tax at all (I used to travel some to Oregon, and what a nice thing it is to not have to worry about sales tax up there). But I also live in the real world, and there are some pretty intractable problems in that world that just “cutting waste” isn’t going to solve, folks. I would hope we can move past the swearing over the prospect of new or increased taxes, and start addressing the reality that we have to have some, and figure out their best structure.

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